Location:

Rindge, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Physician Assistant

Program Overview

Program Description:

Franklin Pierce University’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program features a holistic approach to learning and patient care. Students receive instruction that advances their personal and professional development to become ethical, caring clinicians with a focus on treating a patient’s body, mind and spirit. In addition to classroom instruction, clinical experience is a vital component of the program. Clinical sites throughout the country will provide this training with a concentration on rural and underserved regions of Vermont and New Hampshire. This is a full-time day program designed to be completed in 27 calendar months. Students attend classes at the University’s Lebanon, New Hampshire center. Our facility includes classrooms, seminar rooms, a computer lab and a clinical lab where students learn hands-on, practical skills with state-of-the art training equipment. The U.S. Department of Labor projects rapid employment growth for Physician Assistants in all areas, especially rural and inner city health care facilities.* Graduates of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program will be skilled and compassionate clinicians, who partner with physicians and patients to promote health and wellness, diagnose and treat acute illnesses and manage chronic disease. Mission The mission of the Franklin Pierce University Physician Assistant Program is to graduate competent and compassionate physician assistants who possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitude to provide high quality, patient-oriented primary care in diverse environments. Program Goals 1. Prepare students to function as primary care providers in the health care setting while providing enhanced training for those who wish to specialize. 2. To educate Physician Assistants to practice patientcentered, holistic medicine; caring for the patient’s body, mind, and spirit. 3. To nurture students in the development of their professional role as a collaborative member of the health care team and their personal journey to becoming reflective, ethical practitioners. 4. To graduate self-directed learners with a desire to engage in critical evaluation of the practice of medicine and the medical literature. 5. To recruit students from rural and underserved communities, particularly those from Vermont and central and northern New Hampshire, as well as those from underrepresented populations in medicine. 6. To return these students to rural and underserved communities for clinical training and practice. Program Information • The program offers one start annually in the late fall. • Courses are offered in four 12-week terms for a total of nine terms. • The program is designed to be completed in 27 months of full-time study. • A total of 124 credits must be earned in order to qualify for graduation. • Course sequencing and descriptions are available on the University Web site.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

The Franklin Pierce University Master in Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.) Program has been awarded provisional accreditation by the Accreditation Review Commisssion on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA, 12000 Findley Road, Suite 240, Johns Creek, GA 30097, 770-476-1224, arc-pa.org). All students matriculating in a provisionally accredited program are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for Physician Assistants. Continuing accreditation status for a program is achieved only after a successful follow-up review and second site visit by ARC-PA. The next accreditation review for the Franklin Pierce P.A. program will take place in the spring of 2012.

Requirements:

Prerequisites: • Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. • Achievement of a minimum cumulative (GPA) of 2.8 and a science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (candidates whose cumulative GPA is below a 3.0 may be considered on a case-by-case basis or if their GPA for the last 60 semester credits is at least 3.3). • Successful completion of all prerequisite coursework with a grade of “C” or better. Required prerequisite courses: • Two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology (with lab) • Two semesters of Chemistry (with lab) • One semester of Biology (with lab) • One semester of Microbiology (with lab) • One semester of Statistics • One semester of Psychology Recommended courses: Genetics, Immunology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and/or Cell Biology, Nutrition, Sociology

International Requirements:

Same as Domestic, plus English language competency